Ministry of Finance
Union Finance Minister attends the 3rd phase of Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela
Government committed for empowerment of workers producing the world famous ‘Chah’: Smt Nirmala Sitharaman
Union Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman today launched the 3rd phase of Chah Bagicha Dhan Puraskar Mela while ceremonially distributing third tranche of financial assistance to tea garden area beneficiaries under the scheme at a programme held at Assam Veterinary College Playground at Khanapara in the city.
In the third phase of the scheme, launched for financial inclusion of tea tribe community through opening of bank accounts, an amount of Rs 3000 was transferred directly to 7, 46,667 bank accounts of beneficiaries in the garden areas. Notably, under this scheme started by the Assam Government in the year 2017- 18, Rs 2500 was provided to 6,33,411 bank accounts in the first phase while an additional amount of Rs 2500 was deposited to 7,15,979 bank accounts in the second tranche in 2018-19.
Smt Sitharaman in her address outlined that Assam is known world-over for its tea and people start their mornings with a cup of Assam brew. But these Tea Garden labourers, the minister exclaimed, who toil every day to make the world-famous Assam tea have been neglected for a long time and have been forced to live a disadvantaged life. However, when the Government under the leadership of Shri Narendra Modi assumed power in 2014, various measures for upliftment of the tea community was taken and these efforts exemplified with the commitment of the government for the community during these years have yielded encouragingly positive results, she added.
Lauding the efforts of the bank officials and Assam Government employees for completing the task of opening of more than 8 lakh bank accounts in the tea garden areas after the demonetisation drive initiated by the Prime Minister, Smt Sitharaman said that due to the inclusion of tea community people in the formal banking system, direct transfer of benefits of government schemes to their bank accounts without any middlemen and leakage has been possible. An ambitious scheme like Ayushman Bharat has been launched to provide Rs 5 lakh to every family per year for enabling underprivileged section like tea community to avail paperless medical treatment, she added.
Saying that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal works wholeheartedly and with sincere intentions for equal development of all sections, the Union Finance Minister also said that the under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Central Government has been working relentlessly for the development of weakest sections of the society and no discrimination is done in the allocation of funds to any State. In future also, measures for upliftment of tea community would be taken, she added.
Chief Minister Sarbanada Sonowal, addressing the huge gathering, termed the day as historic and recalled the feat of opening of more than 8 lakh bank accounts in the tea garden areas after the demonetization drive of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi with the support of tea community people. He referred to the Prime Minister’s motto of ‘sabka sath, sabka vikash, sabka viswas’ as the guiding principle for the State Government to work for equal development of all sections and he also thanked the Prime Minister for conferring Padmashree on artiste Shri. Dulal Manki and termed it as a gesture of respect towards the tea community. Thanking the Central Government for selecting the life of Assam’s tea community as the theme for the state’s tableau in Republic Day Parade in New Delhi this year, Sonowal said that increased allocation to Assam in this year’s union budget has sent a message of ‘Ek Bharat Sresth Bharat’ to the whole country and he also thanked Union Finance Minister Smt Sitharaman for the same.
Speaking at the event Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Finance Minister of State, said that for development of the tea garden workers the government has always stood beside them in their time of needs. He informed that the government is working tirelessly for the upliftment of the Tea Garden workers and informed about plans to provide free breakfasts at the tea garden schools, introduction of 10% reservation in tea garden neighbouring colleges for the students of the community apart from the already implemented 10% reservation in medical and engineering colleges. He also promised that the State Government would soon announce increase in wages of the tea garden workers of the state and more good news would come.
Today the programme was also attended by Sri. Rameswar Teli, Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, Sri Sanjay Kishaan, Minister of State  Tea Tribes Welfare, Sri. Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, MP, Rajya Sabha and host of distinguished dignitaries.